News

The Coast Guard transferred custody of four suspected smugglers and multiple bales of cocaine to U.S. federal law enforcement authorities at Coast Guard Sector San Juan, Puerto Rico Jan. 8, 2017. In total, 2,000 pounds of cocaine with an estimated wholesale value of $30 million were seized as a result of multi-agency law enforcement efforts in support of Operation Unified Resolve and Operation Caribbean Guard. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)

Jan. 11, 2017

Coast Guard offloads $30 million worth of seized cocaine in San Juan, Puerto Rico

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The Coast Guard offloaded approximately 2,000 pounds of seized cocaine worth an estimated $30 million in wholesale value and transferred custody of four suspected smugglers to U.S. federal law enforcement authorities at Coast Guard Sector San Juan Sunday.

This heat map of human trafficking activity across the world is one of the tools that is part of DARPA's Memex program, designed to help law enforcement officers and others do investigations online and hunt down human traffickers. DARPA graphic

Jan. 4, 2017

DARPA Program Helps to Fight Human Trafficking

WASHINGTON — The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is developing next-generation search technologies to help investigators find the online perpetrators of human trafficking.

Jan. 3, 2017

CSL Comalapa Sailors Host Children from Love and Hope Orphanage during Holiday Season

COMALAPA, El Salvador (NNS) — COMALAPA, El Salvador (NNS) -- Sailors assigned to Cooperative Security Location (CSL) Comalapa spread the holiday spirit by hosting children from the Love and Hope Orphanage.

U.S. Army 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) Soldiers present their unit’s guidon December 7, 2016 during an award ceremony in Florencia, Colombia. A Colombian Army Counter-narcotics Brigade, known as BRCNA, honored the U.S. Special Forces unit with the unit's “Bandera de Guerra” military medal. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Osvaldo Equite)

Dec. 19, 2016

Colombian army counter-narcotics brigade honors U.S. Special Forces

FLORENCIA, Colombia — FLORENCIA, Colombia – Every December 7 for the past sixteen years, Colombian soldiers from the National Army’s Special Anti-drug Brigade (BRCNA) have gathered in Larandia, Florencia for an end-of-year ceremony to celebrate the unit’s anniversary and recognize distinguished service. Unlike past award ceremonies, this year’s hot December day marked the first time U.S. Special Operations Command South assigned Green Berets marched their unit’s colors across the parade field.

Dec. 15, 2016

Coast Guard offloads 26.5 tons of cocaine seized in Eastern Pacific Drug Transit

MIAMI — The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton offloaded approximately 26.5 tons of cocaine in Port Everglades Thursday worth an estimated $715 million wholesale value seized in international waters off the Eastern Pacific Ocean since Oct. 1.

Joint Task Force Bravo personnel from Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras and Costa Rican organizations partner to do damage assessment and identify humanitarian assistance projects in the wake of Hurricane Otto which hit Costa Rica Nov. 26. The storm brought heavy rains, flooding and mudslides to the area.

Dec. 14, 2016

JTF Bravo sends hurricane damage team to Costa Rica

LIMON, Costa Rica — Joint Task Force Bravo sent two personnel from Soto Cano Air Base in Honduras to Costa Rica to assist in damage assessment in the aftermath of Hurricane Otto, which hit the country on Nov. 26.

An HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter assigned to Joint Task Force-Bravo’s 1st Battalion, 228th Aviation Regiment, provided airlift support for a team of special forces troops performing air assault training during Operation Serpiente, a joint training mission led by members of the U.S. 7th Special Forces Group and Naval Special Warfare, Dec. 1, Lake Ilopango, El Salvador.

Dec. 13, 2016

US, El Salvador forces execute air assault training

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador — Salvadoran Soldiers and Special Operations personnel assigned to 1st Airborne Brigade and Special Forces Command completed Operation Serpiente, a joint air assault training mission led by members of the U.S. 7th Special Forces Group, Naval Special Warfare, and Joint Task Force-Bravo’s 1st Battalion 228th Aviation Regiment Nov. 28 – Dec. 2, at

Coast Guard Lt. David Gilbert, commanding officer of the fast response cutter USCGC Richard Dixon, briefs chiefs of defense and public security ministers attending the 15th Caribbean Nations Security Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Dec. 7, 2016. Conferees examined trends, challenges and threats impacting stability in the Caribbean and defined a collective strategy to improve their forces’ collaboration in support of regional security. Southcom photo by Jose Ruiz

Dec. 9, 2016

Southcom Commander Stresses Need for Collaboration Against Threat Networks

WASHINGTON — The commander of U.S. Southern Command said trust, collaboration and innovation are necessary in fighting threat networks and their finances at the 15th Caribbean Nations Security Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Angel Moquete, assigned to the 571st Mobility Support Advisory Squadron based at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., right, poses for a photo with a host-nation security force member in the Dominican Republic, Nov. 15, 2016. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Robert Hicks

Nov. 28, 2016

Face of Defense: Dominican Republic-Born Airman Serves Proudly

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. — Dominican Republic-born Air Force Staff Sgt. Angel Moquete, an air adviser assigned to the 571st Mobility Support Advisory Squadron, serves proudly around the globe.

Colonel Douglas Lougee, Medical Element commander and pediatrician, weighs a child during Operation Pura Vida, a joint humanitarian mission and Medical Readiness Training Exercise at an indigenous region in the Caribbean province of Limón, Nov. 2. A Group of 16 JTF-Bravo medical professionals arrived in four helicopters from the 1st Battalion 228th Aviation Regiment and joined 30 Costa Rican physicians to provide basic healthcare services to approximately 300 residents of the indigenous village of Piedra Mesa, Telire region of Talamanca, Limón.

Nov. 15, 2016

JTF-Bravo, Costa Rican medical teams bring healthcare to remote indigenous village

LIMÓN, Costa Rica — A group of 16 doctors, nurses, dentists and other specialists from Joint Task Force-Bravo took part in Operation Pura Vida, a joint humanitarian mission and Medical Readiness Training Exercise at an indigenous region in the Caribbean province of Limón, Nov. 1 to 3. The group arrived in four helicopters from the 1st Battalion 228th Aviation Regiment and joined 30 Costa Rican physicians to provide basic healthcare services to approximately 300 residents of the indigenous village of Piedra Mesa, Telire region of Talamanca, Limón.